“We are heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of our little brother,” Dontarious Batts’ siblings said

A North Carolina man with special needs is dead after his caretaker allegedly left him alone in a hot vehicle for hours, police say.

The incident was reported on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at approximately 4:43 p.m., the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said, as reported by CBS 17.

The victim has been identified as Dontarious Batts, a patient believed to be in his early to mid-20s.

According to the news station, a phone call came in to Johnston County 911 Communications with a man, later identified as 55-year-old Rogers Lee Inge Jr., allegedly telling them he was responsible for the death of a person in his care who had been left in his vehicle.

While on the phone, the dispatcher instructed Inge to pull over at a fire department located at 9039 Cleveland Road in Clayton where EMS, fire personnel and deputies with the JCSO met him.

Inge, an employee of Universal Health Care who took care of Batts, allegedly told deputies that he brought Batts to work with him earlier that day at his second job at Cleveland High School where he worked as a janitor, WRAL reported.

He reportedly told police that he left Batts in the car with the windows up and the engine off at 8 a.m., adding that he returned to the car to check on him around 10 a.m. and Batts seemed to be okay.

Inge completed his work day at Cleveland High School, and when he went back to his vehicle around 4:17 p.m., Batts had died, according to WRAL.

Related: North Carolina Girl, 8, Dies After Being Left in Hot Car by Mother Who Was Reportedly Working

In 911 audio obtained by WRAL, an “emotionally distraught” Inge reportedly said, “It’s my fault.”

“I didn’t think it was that hot today. I didn’t check on him. I forgot. I was working,” he reportedly continued.

ABC 11’s First Alert Weather Team said the temperature in the area reached 81 degrees that day. The news station also referred to the National Weather Service, who warned that the inside of a vehicle parked in the sun can exceed up to 50 degrees higher than what temperatures are outdoors.

Following the incident, Tierra Blackston and Tiquana Bradberry started a GoFundMe in Batts’ name.

“We are heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of our little brother Donte,” their message began.

“Words can’t express the hurt I feel writing this because it all still feel so unreal. On August 20, 2024 my brother Dontarius Batts (Donte) who was autistic and non verbal was left in a hot vehicle by his caregiver with the engine off and the windows up between the hours of 8am until a little after 4pm,” the siblings continued.

As of Thursday, Aug. 22, Blackston and Bradberry had exceeded their $2,500 GoFundMe goal.

In an article updated by WRAL on Thursday, the outlet reported that Inge was taken to the Johnston County jail and held under $35,000 bond. As of Wednesday, Aug. 21, he was also no longer employed by Johnston County Public Schools.